The CalHiSports/ESPN final Northern California football rankings show what we have suggested all fall: it was a banner season for the area. The area has never had this many teams ranked this high.
A debate in the Bay Area is this: The Central Coast Section and the West Catholic Athletic League in particular is superior to any group of teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section. That, of course, is absurd as those bloggers defend Bellarmine's beat-down loss at home to St, Mary's as "we were young and it was early."
Here's a look at the rankings, with SoCal rankings below the NorCal grouping.
CalHiSports Northern California
Overall Top 25
Bee comments attached for extra punch
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 13-2
Spartans have not lost to a NorCal team since '91; beat 14-0 Crenshaw in state Open game.
2. (2) Rocklin 14-1
Only team to beat Nevada Union; beat Del Oro twice; gutty 33-30 loss to Servite in D-II bowl
3. (3) Grant (Sacramento) 12-1
Beat nationally ranked Bellevue, great defense all season with state-record 77 sacks; lost to Rocklin.
4. (not ranked) Bullard (Fresno) 13-0
Best year in tradition rich program; team feels slighted for not getting a bowl bid (went to Bellarmine)
5. (4) Bellarmine (San Jose) 11-2-1
Bells are good but better than NU? Led most of the way against 14-0 Oceanside in D-I bowl.
6. (5) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 13-1
Lost only by 5 to Rocklin; steamed to program's fourth D-I section since 1993; felt slighted by bowl pick
7. (6) Del Oro (Loomis) 11-3
Beat Granite Bay; in playoffs beat St. Mary's and Folsom on road; great year for O-line, RB Bryce Pratt.
8. (7) St. Mary's (Stockton) 11-1
Major win Bellarmine rout; lost to Del Oro in playoffs despite team's first 10-0 start and major talent.
9. (9) Folsom 11-2
A team for next year, too, with QB Dano Graves (66 total touchdowns); beat Granite Bay in D-II playoffs.
10. (12) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 9-1-1
Beat Bellarmine on the field in league play, though goes down as a tie in meat-grinder league.
11. (10) Monte Vista (Danville) 9-4
Traditional power had another strong showing.
12. (16) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 13-1
Only team to beat Inderkum; great defense and Bee Player of Year Ryan Dimino set state records.
13. (14) Granite Bay 9-3
Grizzlies lost only to Del Oro in OT, by a score to Rocklin and to the machine of Folsom; great program.
14. (13) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 11-3
Get used to seeing the Mustangs here as coach T.J. Ewing has the program on fast-track success with veer.
15. (11) St. Francis (Mountain View) 9-4
Another member of the brutally tough Central Coast Section's West Catholic League.
16. (NR) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 13-2
Impressed in state D-III bowl, though Del Campo would've loved a shot at them in a NorCal bowl.
17. (NR) Buchanan (Clovis) 10-1
Always great football in football mad Fresno area.
18. (8) Inderkum (Sacramento) 13-1
Only loss was most painful one - to Del Campo is rain and nasty elements in D-III title game.
19. (NR) Modesto Christian 15-0
Section D-IV champs impressed in small-school state bowl; first section team to go 15-0.
20. (NR) Tracy 11-1
10-0 start had a lot thinking of the 1980s teams before stunner loss in Round II of playoffs to Los Banos.
21. (NR) Centennial (Bakersfield) 9-4
Feels like SoCal down in Bakersfield, but they are a NorCal-ranked team with tradition.
22. (NR) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 9-4
Eagles are force under coach Joe Cattolico; beat Monterey Trail, lost to NU, Del Campo.
23. (NR) Valley Christian (San Jose) 8-4
San Jose power used to play Grant but got beat up so bad gave up the series; still major force in Bay.
24. (NR) Enterprise (Redding) 11-1
Section champs from up north hope to someday North Section in a bowl.
25. (15) Pittsburg 9-5
Traditional power was handled by Granite Bay early and then really handled by De La Salle later.
Southern California
Overall Top 35
1. (3) Servite (Anaheim) 14-1
2. (2) Oceanside 14-0
3. (1) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 14-1
4. (4) Serra (Gardena) 15-0
5. (6) Edison (Huntington Beach) 13-1
6. (5) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 13-1
7. (7) Westlake (Westlake Village) 14-0
8. (8) Mission Viejo 12-1
9. (9) Lakewood 11-2
10. (11) Chaparral (Temecula) 11-3
11. (12) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 13-1
12. (13) Eastlake (Chula Vista) 11-1-1
13. (14) Moorpark 12-2
14. (15) Norco 11-2
15. (16) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 10-2
16. (17) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 11-2
17. (19) Mission Bay (San Diego) 13-0
18. (20) Centennial (Corona) 10-3
19. (21) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 11-1
20. (22) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 12-1
21. (23) Upland 12-2
22. (18) Vista 10-3
23. (24) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 6-6
24. (NR) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 12-2
25. (NR) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 9-3
26. (NR) Valencia 12-1
27. (NR) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 11-1
28. (NR) Los Alamitos 8-3
29. (22) Narbonne (Harbor City) 8-6
30. (NR) Carson 10-3
31. (NR) Dana Hills (Dana Point) 9-3
32. (NR) La Habra 13-1
33. (25) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 9-5
34. (NR) Mission Hills (San Marcos) 9-3
35. (NR) Rancho Cucamonga 10-3
